The final figure was given the nod at a meeting of Conwy County Council last Thursday.

Gareth Jones, cabinet member for finance and resources, presented the budget and received total support.

That said, the number of councillors present had been decimated by the absence of 11 Labour members, who walked out of the meeting after a row over the resignation of Cllr Gwilym Richards, former lifelong learning portfolio holder (see story above).

Average council tax for a Band D property (including police and community council precepts) is £914.90.

A poor settlement from the Assembly meant Cllr Jones and finance officers were backed into a corner, but they came out fighting and delivered a budget the Plaid Cymru councillor is proud of.

“My advice is this: if they don’t like paying council tax, move to Conwy,” said Cllr Jones. “We have the third cheapest council tax in Wales and the cheapest in North Wales, despite the low financial threshold we’ve got.

“I’m very sorry the Labour members are not here to vote, but there has been a lot of member involvement in this budget and we should be proud of what we’ve achieved.”

Assembly local government minister Sue Essex last year announced a £137.2 million annual funding supplement for Conwy County Council, the equivalent of £1,231 per person.

The figure was one of the lowest given to local authorities in Wales, and combined with a 6.75% police precept, it put the Bodlondeb-based authority in a weaker position than it would have liked.

But Colwyn Bay councillor Keith Toy is pleased with the end product and applauded his colleagues for providing a balanced budget under difficult circumstances.

“We’re between a rock and a hard place, but more importantly we’ve needed to take on board a number of financial risks – waste management, job evaluation, stock transfer, homelessness, among others - which have all been factored into this budget and must be supported today,” said Cllr Toy.